AP PHOTOS: In Mexico, vigilantes arise in violent regions

on March 2, 2018

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 7, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilante Rene Zeferino rides in the back of a pickup as his unit patrols the streets of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. Fed up with policeIn this Feb. 7, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilante Rene Zeferino rides in the back of a pickup as his unit patrols the streets of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. Fed up with police corruption and drug gang violence, a number of communities in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero and neighboring states have formed citizen police groups.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, a young man being held by the "community police" sits inside a cell for non-violent offenders, alongside bottles of river water used for bathing, inside an unfinished building inIn this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, a young man being held by the "community police" sits inside a cell for non-violent offenders, alongside bottles of river water used for bathing, inside an unfinished building in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. Vigilante forces punish minor crimes with work, short imprisonment and re-adaptation.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, a "community police" vigilante counts rifle bullets at the town's community police base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. Patrolling on foot or in the back of aIn this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, a "community police" vigilante counts rifle bullets at the town's community police base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. Patrolling on foot or in the back of a pickup truck, they are often armed with just rifles _ a far cry from the high-caliber weapons used by the cartels, police and the Mexican military.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Maribel Julio Meneses weeps over the body of her son Daniel Julio Julio, a "community police" vigilante in the village of Huamuchapa, near Tecoanapa, Guerrero state, Mexico. TheIn this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Maribel Julio Meneses weeps over the body of her son Daniel Julio Julio, a "community police" vigilante in the village of Huamuchapa, near Tecoanapa, Guerrero state, Mexico. The 22-year-old vigilante was ambushed and killed while on duty.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Maribel Julio Meneses is comforted by a relative during the wake for her son Daniel Julio Julio, a "community police" officer in the village of Huamuchapa, near Tecoanapa, GuerreroIn this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Maribel Julio Meneses is comforted by a relative during the wake for her son Daniel Julio Julio, a "community police" officer in the village of Huamuchapa, near Tecoanapa, Guerrero state, Mexico. The 22-year-old vigilante was ambushed and killed while on duty.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 5, 2018 photo, a family member adjusts an altar set up in honor of Alexis Estrada Asencio in La Concepcion, Guerrero state, Mexico. Asencio, a 17-year-old bull-riding enthusiast, was killed inIn this Feb. 5, 2018 photo, a family member adjusts an altar set up in honor of Alexis Estrada Asencio in La Concepcion, Guerrero state, Mexico. Asencio, a 17-year-old bull-riding enthusiast, was killed in January along with five other civilians, allegedly by members of the "community police" vigilante force.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 5, 2018 photo, the family members of six civilians who were allegedly killed by a "community police" ride home carrying photographs of their deceased loved ones in La Concepcion, Guerrero state,In this Feb. 5, 2018 photo, the family members of six civilians who were allegedly killed by a "community police" ride home carrying photographs of their deceased loved ones in La Concepcion, Guerrero state, Mexico. The women were returning from the town council building, where they say their relatives were killed, to tell their stories to the press.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, children walk past a "community police" officer at the vigilante force's base in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. Disgust with police corruption and drug gang violenceIn this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, children walk past a "community police" officer at the vigilante force's base in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. Disgust with police corruption and drug gang violence has led people in parts of Guerrero and neighboring states to form their own versions of citizen police.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 6 2018 photo, crosses and flowers mark the spot where four members of a "community police" vigilante force died near Rincon de la Via in Guerrero state, Mexico. The vigilantes from the town ofIn this Feb. 6 2018 photo, crosses and flowers mark the spot where four members of a "community police" vigilante force died near Rincon de la Via in Guerrero state, Mexico. The vigilantes from the town of Buenavista de la Salud died when their car was ambushed and burned at this spot.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 9, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilantes gather around a campfire just after dawn as they pass a cold night on duty outside their base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. SuchIn this Feb. 9, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilantes gather around a campfire just after dawn as they pass a cold night on duty outside their base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. Such groups are common in tightly knit indigenous communities where centuries-old practices include rule by a council of elders and cooperative community work.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 6, 2018 photo, prisoner Marcelo Ramirez Bolanos, left, cries as he is interrogated about his alleged crimes of kidnapping and robbery by a member of the "community police" vigilantes inIn this Feb. 6, 2018 photo, prisoner Marcelo Ramirez Bolanos, left, cries as he is interrogated about his alleged crimes of kidnapping and robbery by a member of the "community police" vigilantes in Xaltianguis, Guerrero state, Mexico. Effectively vigilante outfits with no allegiance _ and often outright hostility _ to elected authorities, they're grass-roots attempts by locals to rein in lawlessness in some of the areas most wracked by killings, kidnappings, extortion and other malfeasance.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 6, 2018 photo, a baby peers up from her stroller at an armed "community police" officer in Xaltianguis, Guerrero state, Mexico. Disgust with police corruption and drug gang violence has led peopleIn this Feb. 6, 2018 photo, a baby peers up from her stroller at an armed "community police" officer in Xaltianguis, Guerrero state, Mexico. Disgust with police corruption and drug gang violence has led people in parts of Guerrero and neighboring states to form their own versions of citizen police.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 7, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilantes search the trunk of a taxi at an impromptu roadblock on the outskirts of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. For these citizen cops, being onIn this Feb. 7, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilantes search the trunk of a taxi at an impromptu roadblock on the outskirts of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. For these citizen cops, being on duty can mean manning an impromptu road roadblock to search vehicles for contraband, monitoring bars for any nefarious activity or watching over rudimentary police stations with jail cells.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilantes inspect a bar in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. For these citizen cops, being on duty can mean manning an impromptu road roadblock toIn this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, "community police" vigilantes inspect a bar in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. For these citizen cops, being on duty can mean manning an impromptu road roadblock to search vehicles for contraband, monitoring bars for any nefarious activity or watching over rudimentary police stations with jail cells.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, a "community police" vigilante sits on guard with his weapon and radio outside his vigilante force's base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. Patrolling on foot or inIn this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, a "community police" vigilante sits on guard with his weapon and radio outside his vigilante force's base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. Patrolling on foot or in the back of a pickup truck, they are often armed with just rifles _ a far cry from the high-caliber weapons used by the cartels, police and the Mexican military.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell, AP

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In this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, "community police" officers stand guard on the roof of the vigilantes force's base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. Such groups are common in tightly knitIn this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, "community police" officers stand guard on the roof of the vigilantes force's base in Buenavista de la Salud, Guerrero state, Mexico. Such groups are common in tightly knit indigenous communities where centuries-old practices include rule by a council of elders and cooperative community work.

AYUTLA DE LOS LIBRES, Mexico (AP) — Fed up with police corruption and drug gang violence, a number of communities in the southern Mexico state of Guerrero and neighboring areas have formed citizen police groups.

Effectively vigilante outfits with no allegiance — and often outright hostility — to elected authorities, they are grassroots attempts by locals to rein in lawlessness in some of the areas most wracked by killings, kidnappings, extortion and other malfeasance.

Such forces have multiplied in recent years as Guerrero has become more violent. The state saw 2,318 homicides last year as criminal gangs battled for territory or killed to intimidate victims.

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For these citizen cops, being on duty can mean manning an impromptu roadblock to search vehicles for contraband, monitoring bars for nefarious activities or watching over rudimentary police stations complete with jail cells.

Patrolling on foot or in the back of a pickup truck, they are often armed with just rifles — a far cry from the high-caliber weapons used by Mexico's drug cartels, police and military.

It can be a deadly job. Daniel Julio Julio, a 22-year-old member of one militia, was ambushed and killed in the Guerrero village of Huamuchapa.

Civilians die at the vigilantes' hands as well. Alexis Estrada, Asencio, a 17-year-old bull-riding enthusiast, was allegedly killed by members of the local vigilante force in January in La Concepcion along with five other people. The vigilantes were allied with groups trying to halt a large dam project backed by the government.

The groups sometimes clash with one another as organized crime groups try to coopt and divide them.